In his first interview in more than a decade, Jamie Spears defends puttingdaughter Britney Spears under the 13-year conservatorship that fueled the#FreeBritney movement, calling it a “great tool” that protected the pop starand her two children, Sean Preston, 17, and Jayden, 16.
The Mail on Sunday has published a rare interview with the Spears patriarch,70, his first since the conservatorship ended in November of 2021. Speaking tointerviewer Daphne Barak, Spears defended his actions, but declined to answerdefinitively whether the conservatorship, which began in 2008, lasted toolung.
“Not everybody’s going to agree with me,” he told Barak. “It’s been one hellof a time. But I love my daughter with all my heart and soul. Where wouldBritney be right now without that conservatorship? And I don’t know if she’dbe alive. I don’t.
“For protecting her, and also protecting the kids, conservatorship was a greattool. Without it, I don’t think she would have got the kids back,” he added.
But as recently as September, the “Stronger” singer has spoken of beingestranged from her two sons with ex-husband Kevin Federline, all of whom havecriticized her social media activity. The pop star, who recently celebratedher 41st birthday, is also estranged from dad Jamie, who is described asliving with his younger daughter, former Zoe 101 star Jamie Lynn Spears, inrural Louisiana. Though Britney has lashed out at her sibling on social media— at one point calling her a “scum person” — she recently posted a messagepraising 31-year-old Jamie Lynn for her appearance on the Fox reality show_Special Forces: World ‘s Toughest Test._ Jamie, who is described as havingsuffered health setbacks in recent years, says he too has lost touch withBritney’s boys, though at one point he claims they “were my closestgrandkids.”
“I miss my two boys really, really bad,” he says. “I do. You know, we werevery, very close. They were around that age where you could start having agood time with them. But they were developing a mind of their own. God makesthings happen for a reason. I don ‘t know what that reason is but it’s been atough three years without them. The family’s a mess. All we can do is keeppraying.”
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Spears added that he sometimes thinks “the boys are used as a pawn,” but saidit’s up to their father, Federline, to decide if he can see his grandsons.”The boys have to be comfortable,” he noted.
Spears claims the conservatorship was a “great tool” for the pop star, who hascalled him abusive and controlling. (Photo: VALERIE MACON/AFP via GettyImages)
Britney has described her father as abusive and controlling. But throughoutthe lengthy interview, the retired Spears maintains that he had his daughter’sbest interests at heart. The conservatorship, he claimed, allowed her to have50% physical, if not legal, custody of her sons, though either he or Federlinewere present during her visits with her children.
“We could take the kids to Europe,” Spears said. “They didn’t miss time withtheir mother. They didn’t miss time with their father. Not many people knewthat. The main purpose was to get Britney back with her kids in a comfortablerelationship. We did everything in the world with them.”
He also claimed that his superstar daughter “was broke” at the time theconservatorship was established.
“She had no money whatsoever,” Spears said. “The conservatorship set aresource where she could get back financially. And, you know, we worked — andshe worked — and she got herself straight up financially. … Theconservatorship allowed the finances to be better.”
Spears also insisted that his intervention had “made a difference” thatbenefitted his daughter, despite her testimony disputing this.
“My understanding of a conservatorship is to help someone regain their lifeand return back to society, and to be able to live normally,” he said. “I wantto say that I made a difference. There were a few people behind me that reallyhelped bring it to a point where we could help her.”
The public, he claimed, have the wrong idea about what the conservatorshipinvolved.
“All I can say is that most people don’t have a clue what the truth is,” hecontinued. “Her lawyer doesn’t have a clue what the truth is. The media hasnot heard the truth. They’ve heard the allegations from Britney.
“I don’t mind taking that beating because I know it’s not true, and because Idon’t want to start something else. For my daughter to end up going furtherdown the hole than she had been,” he said.
Though Spears and Federline are now back in contact despite the latter manfiling a 2019 restraining order (now lapsed) against his former father-in-law.Federline also accused Spears of battery, alleging that Jamie broke down alocked door and “violently shook” Sean Preston. Spears stepped down as hisdaughter’s conservator following the incident, citing health problems.
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Spears expressed hope that his family mightresolve their issues with each other.
“Each individual has got lots of work to do,” he said. “I don’t know if someof them want to do the work or not. It’s going to be a tough thing, but that’sthe goal. Like I say, family’s not in good shape right now. That’s all I cansay.
“It’s better — but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Britney and her team have yet to respond to Spears’s interview.